Less Lisa

I know, I need to post pictures and updates about the latest road trip…You all know by now, it’ll be awhile…I will make it more of a priority…I love to post new pics…one thing that holds me back is the pictures of me that were taken (and probably will NOT get posted) look horrible compared to the comparison shot I posted a couple of weeks ago…kinda makes it look like I have taken a step back…so not the case.  But the pictures are horrible…I hate my picture taken anyways and these just don’t show my progress in the least.

So, today I come here with good news   The ’self-esteem-boosting-I’m-really-not-in-that-bad-of-shape-after-all’ kinda news.  Over the weekend, we took a full day to do school shopping for both of the girls.  One stop we made is to the fantastic Target.  I heart Target.  After getting on my knees and bowing to the ‘price-cut Gods’ I got up and purchased a lovely 5 lb. medicine ball for only $9.00!!!!  People, these thing run anywhere from $20.00 - $30.00 EASILY…I got it for 9 bucks.  9 FREAKING BUCKS.  Yes, I’m excited.  But, that’s not the best part…

I have mentioned here before that my neighbor is a body builder.  Not competitive-like, but he’s at the gym every single day without fail.  He helps to train others at the gym, which most end up hating him because of the pain he causes the day after his workouts.  So last night I called him and told him I got the medicine ball and wanted to see if he would show me how to use the thing. 

When he showed up, I was in the shop doing my pre-boxing workout (the arm circles, pole twists, etc.) and he gets the ball and goes, “You have a weight bench in the basement, right?” I reluctantly said ‘yeah’, in a ‘what the frig have I gotten myself into’ kinda tone.  So he and I went to the house, down to the basement and did a workout.

He had me do 3 sets of the following:

We put the weight bench on a decline, I hooked my legs under the leg lifts bar (attached to our bench is a padded bar doo-hicky that you place the plate-weights on and do leg lifts) as to hold myself still.  As I sat on the bench, he stood in front of me about 5 foot away and would throw the medicine ball (5 lbs. remember) above my head, I had to reach up, catch the ball, keeping my hands above my head, I had to lower my upper body all the way down the declined bench, come back up immediately and toss the ball back to him.  We did this 10 times. Next, he stood to my right, I sat upright on the bench with my legs still hooked, and he would throw the ball to me, I caught it in front, twisted fully at my waist to the left and came back throwing the ball back at him.  Again we did this 10 times, and then repeated that from my left side.  On sets 2 and 3, we did 15 reps on each thing.

Now, why I’m excited???  Not only do I think I completely SUCK at anything abs-wise, I was able to do every single thing he wanted me to do, as fast as he wanted me to do it.  I could tell that he was surprised that I kept up…like he thought it was going to kill me…it certainly didn’t.   

He told me that there was a minister and some other guy at the gym (both in very good shape and the one guy does ALOT with ab workouts) and they both did this exact workout with a 6 lb. medicine ball, and the next day neither could move and were not happy with my neighbor.  Thing is, today???  I feel NOTHING.  It didn’t make me sore in the least.  My butt and legs are sore from holding myself steady with my legs over the doo-hicky, but my stomach just feels like it was worked, not sore and can’t move.  (ok, I take that back, I was just telling my mom about the workout and as I was mimicking what he had me doing, I could feel a tinge of soreness in my lower tummy…still moving though!!!)  We went over to the neighbors last night to sit on their deck for a bit, and he commented to me what good shape I was in to be able to keep up and do that whole routine the very first time, when I specifically told him I suck at ab work.  He told me I was in good shape.  ME.  in good shape.  Do you know what that felt like?  I couldn’t have been happier if I was actually at my goal weight. I felt like I was glowing. 

So, typical me, I’m doubting today that I even did the workout correctly.  He saw every move I made and knows I was doing correctly, and yet, to me, because I’m not very sore and was actually able to do it, I’m 2nd guessing that I even did it correctly.  On one extreme I’m so proud of myself, and yet, the other extreme I don’t think I did it right.  How could I have when someone who works out more than I do, got sore from the workout and it doesn’t seem to have phased my body other than feeling as though I got a good workout in?? 

Could it be that I’m not as bad-off as I think??  I think I need therapy.